Despite the headlines, YouTube is still the top music destination in most of the world. That massive reach, particularly within the global Latin community, is changing the face of what it means to be a superstar. ___________________ By Mark Mulligan of MIDiA and the Music Industry blog "139 music videos…
Category archives: Indie Labels
Soundcloud Adds Curated Playlists, Community Pages, More Music Discovery Options
Since playlists are the new radio, Soundcloud is making sure they have a place on the dial. Beginning today, alongside the personalized “SoundCloud Weekly” and playlists like “Fresh Pressed,” the steamer is adding more handcrafted playlists, including some curated by leading music journalists and artists. Soundcloud has also added community…
Spotify Adds Personalization To Curated Playlists and That’s Great News For Artists, Labels
Some official Spotify playlists will now be personalized based on a listener’s taste. For those playlists, no two will be the same. So while not the same as a permanent playlist placement, all music now has a much better chance of getting heard by the right listeners. What does all…
Neighboring Rights: What They Are, Why They’re Important
The concept of neighboring rights parallels that of performance rights. Where performance rights reference the right to perform a composition, neighboring rights reference the ability to publicly perform the sound recording. So, why are these neighboring rights so important to artists and independent labels? _____________________________ Guest post by Randi Zimmerman…
Burnside Distribution Turns 25
Founded in 1994 by Bill McNally, Terry Currier and David Cobb, music distributor Burnside has withstood the slings and arrows of a tumultuous industry to arrive successfully on its 25th birthday. _________________________________ By Chris Calabrese, Manager, Brand Marketing & Communications at The Orchard. This originally appeared on The Daily Rind…
Spotify Begins Label Licensing Talks Amid Major Disputes
Spotify has begun negotiations to renew its licencees with all three major labels and other rights holders. The talks begin with Spotify on the offensive against the music industry on multiple fronts. The streamer must reach new deals this year with Universal Music, Sony Music, and Warner Music, which together…
BUSINESS OF INDIE: Chess Club Records • Big Hit Entertainment • Prima Classic • Ditto • More
In this week’s edition of the Business Of Indie, Chess Club Records adds an investor and new distribution, BTS propels Big Hit Entertainment, indie label Prima Classic launches, Ditto adds a management division and much more. Like Hypebot’s More News section, The Business Of Indie is nestled under its own…
ADA Inks Sara Evans’ Born To Fly Records
WMG owned indie distributor ADA Worldwide has partnered with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans and her indie label, Born To Fly Records. ADA will support the Nashville-based label with sales and distribution globally. Launched in 2017, Born To Fly Records is home to Evans’ critically acclaimed eighth studio record, Words,…
Canadian Independent Music Association Gets $20M From Federal Government
The Canadian Independent Music Association has been awarded $20 million the federal government over the next two years for the Canada Music Fund. The CMF has been a critical source of support over the years but had been underfunded and over-subscribed for the past decade. “This funding increase is fantastic…
BTS Pre-Sale Exceeds 2.6 Million Albums In Just 5 Days
K-Pop superstars BTS have pre-sold more than 2.6 million copies of the album "Map of the Soul: Persona" Set to be released on April 14, the album may be the biggest pre-sale in history, a particualty impressive feat in an era where streaming has surpassed physical sales. BTS hit this…